50plus minutes and never dull. Learnt some things too. Loved it.

Sorry for your loss mate.

Enjoyed the tour. The right level of detail & pace, mixed with some dry humour. When it comes to the tools one needs & how to set up a workshop, there is no correct way. It depends on what you're making, what your budget is, what space you have to work with etc... Cherry picking the ideas that work for your own space & workflow is, as you said, the way to go. A couple of observations from my own experience. French cleats are probably a good idea for large workshops (typical US ones) where you have tons of wall space. In your typical UK garage or shed-size shop, they're quite space-inefficient. I had a cleat wall when I first started a few years back & it was good in that it allowed me to swap things around to suit my workflow. A few months ago I took all the cleats down & replaced them with simple cabinets with shelves inside & door, onto which I mostly attached Lidl Parkside £3.99 magnetic strips everywhere. This allowed me to pack in a huge amount of tools & consumables in a small footprint. Regarding dust collection. I'd love to have multiple shop vacs but don't have the space to keep them. I set up a system of 40mm PVC pipes, 3D printed blast gates & extensions back to a power takeoff on a Stanley Fatmax vac & DIY cyclone. I use this for my stationary tools (bar jointer/plainer) and have a hose to connect to sanders & tracksaw etc... This works relatively well but I found it often clogged up when I tried to clean the workshop floor of bigger chippings & debris. For this I got an Evolution worksite box vac, which I can easily clear if it were to block. I also acquired an industrial extractor which vents out a window & should keep the air relatively clean.

Absolutely brilliant, thank you so much, you should do a pod cast , wonderful knowledge.

Cheers Ben, My next major upgrade would be going to a combo machine for space. You made me take not of some wtf options. Re adjusting. I gotta watch the work bench section again as well

I was lucky enough to find a used Festool router table a few years ago with all the add-ons minus the router. I do run it with the 1400 and no problems. Happy I didn't go down the make myself path since I already had the 1400. The manual seems to not want the end user to fit the 2200, glad to see you have no issues with that combination. Thanks for the good insights!

Love your channel Ben, thanks for your time.

Followed you for a few years. Appreciate the discussion topics and being a normal bloke. I’m an American who watched Fawlty Towers and continues to watch 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Great video Ben. Informative. Keep it up.

I feel your pain, I have a Felder combination machine that I have used for the last 20 years and it is a PITA to setup the temple bolts for the J/P and the run out of the sliding table is a constant annoyance. If “General” were still in business (the Canadian equivalent to Wadkin, Oliver and the like) I would gladly send the thing packing a buy all separates. Great video, I’ve been caught over the bench a few times with my trousers down when it comes to tool purchases.

Excellent review of your machines and tools. Literally years in the refining. Cheers 🍻

I always love seeing that you’ve uploaded 😬🫡

Oooooo . . . I really love your Moxon Vice on the portable table top! That's so nice to flip the front and use it with bench dogs.

Festool should really look into changing the ergonomics of the domino jointer to look and feel more like a hand planer. Think about being able to grip the handle and just punch it in. Though, I’ve never personally used one, I find myself at Woodcraft in the festool section quite often 😅

So much good info. A lot sapping my pockets but I’m Patreon’ing up the moment I can. It’s all real and honest, opinions and harsh reality of staying in business even with a practiced skill set and solid as (beep) work ethic. The dovetail tool reminds me of Jim Kingshott’s tool. Good to know some things still prove “if it works, why change it?”

The thing about Festool is they're very refined but they're not all that robust. I've seen AVE videos where he breaks them down and they're kind of homeowner grade.

I've done a few 3 phase to single phase motor swaps in old machines (wadkin sliding table saw and robinson thickness planer), both 4kw (I think 5hp). Needs a new DOL starter and some belts, but pretty much just nuts and bolts work. Motors are around £350. They draw much higher amps and are larger but otherwise do the same job, and it opens up a world of quality old tools.

Great video, Made my Sunday morning! On clamps, sell all you have and "invest " in Dubuque Clamp Works Aluminum Bar Clamps. I have Jorgensen Parallels that I barely touch anymore after buying the Dubuque clamps. Cheers!

Alrite Ben, you’ve just cost me £1800. I’ve had a cheap Triton thicknesser for the past 2 years and done all my planing (jointing) by hand, watched this video and made the push for a proper thicknesser/planer.

I haven't gotten through the entire video yet but thank you for 2 things so far...mentioning Bosch, which, aside from their routers, don't have nearly the following in the US that DeWalt does and I think that's a shame. And 2...cordless tools. Other than my drill/driver, my woodworking tools stay in my shop. I prefer corded because, as you mentioned, I'm not wasting time waiting for batteries to chsrge and honestly they're just cheaper. Thanks for all the great content!

A lot of your reasoning and opinions are spot on - a man after my own heart. As for Festool, yeah way over priced, well made but geez at those prices. I think the only one I would think about buying would be the domino and after what you said about the 700, probably the one I would have - once I've saved up the money, sold a kidney and taken out a second mortgage 😀. Liked your worktop workbench or is that workbench worktop, either way, next on my playlist.

I don't think its the brands pricing themselves out of the market. It is since we aren't trading with our closest partners. Sad times.

Agree on pretty much every point here. Given the space (and money) I'd have a fleet of bandsaws and separate planer and thicknesser n'all. Defo a bit of brand tax going on with festool and mafell. Im a mafell user as you've probably seen. Been eyeing up a 3rd drill/driver - 12v. Dont like the battery in the handle (too fat) so was looking at Mafells new A12 drill. Its a Metabo but slightly different spec (speed, balance aides). Its about £100 more than Metabos own. Madness. In fairness, for the tools they make themselves, both festool and mafell are over 90% in house or german sourced components . Still, £700 for a jigsaw and 1500 for a mitre saw? Its a big ask. I was gonna make a similar tool talk vid at some point. 👍

just upgraded my festool midi because a wanted a bluetooth one, sold the old one for 20 quid more than I payed for it new 9 years ago.....in my mind that's a free tool.

I agree with almost everything on this list, minus the cheap tool bit. If you are 100% certain you are going to use a tool regularly, buy once cry once, but in the instance of not knowing if you will actually use the tool or learning HOW to use the tool the cheap alternative can be better.

I wiped some wax on the bessey bars and the glue problem is much less an issue and they are much smoother to operate.

As always….thanks for the video. Regarding tool pricing, how many festool clones appear after patent expiry. No one else is prepared to do the r&d.

Had to pause half way through... 3 Phase, I went the other way, I got the kit before having the ability to run it, simply because I couldn't pass the opportunity to have 4 really good Wadkin pieces of kit (specially the RM and the RS Lathe), I got them in what I think was a bargain, Total cost so far to install 3 phase, around £7800 and this my friend is without the ground works (which I'm hulking up myself), just ENWL and an Electrician to come in to put the board up and hook up the house. #justanidea Will it be worth it, Hell yes!

After a fairly nasty accident but not permanent accident with a cheap charnwood router table which was at least half my fault. And may partly have been the left hand side of the fence moving forward after it was locked down. Ive been thinking and looking, at switching to a variable speed spindle moulder with a router spindle and an auto feed, if i can figure out where to shoe horn it into the workshop. Its possible to get all of that that for 1200/1800 used, sometimes with an autofeed. I wouldnt be surprised if thats below what your router table set would cost new.

You can actually just use a phase converter, and you don't have to spend all the money to actually have three phase Set up at your house that's probably the cheapest way to go about it.

Nice video mate, I agree that the kapex price is absolutely bollox now! I will probably bend over bite the spoon and buy it, just cause my little shed setup would really benefit from its footprint and the better dust collection.

What a video m8 that was a proper good watch really nice to see your collection in depth (well what you showed i know there is more you didnt. Probably 😂 would love festool at some point but cant afford now. The professional plainer thicknesser Will be next. Agree totally though on the bar clamps i have 12 a think at different lengths there great although ebay pack 4 heads for 35 quid a think. I deffo got tool envy though although just upgraded the table saw recently so thats helped alot 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍

Hello pal, good to see you again and especially with a feature length movie. As a hobbyist the majority of my tools are entry level (Evolution, Metabo etc) The only issue with these things is you need to calibrate or at least check them every time you use them. But as they aren't used all day every day they are at least fit for purpose. The one decent tool I really want is a sander, I probably have about 10 power sanders with the best one being a Bosch detail sander. I want the Rotax but have heard they are not as good as some other cheaper ones. But what I use for heavy material removal is a polishing mop, I have several of these with the Rupes Big Foot being my most expensive. If you put a decent head on it and some decent paper it cuts like a mf. So do the cheaper non orbitals as well. No good for finishing though. I have a DeWalt orbital but it is out of balance so it is a pain to use. Any advice on a decent affordable sander would be greatly appreciated Ben.

Yep. Alex Snodgrass. Lol master of the bandsaw

24:50 Great video and lots of information that'll help me make the right decisions in future. thank you mate. BTW, if you allow me ask what was that thing that was moving behind you on the shelf?

Hey I have quick question for you. I just got a jointer. I bought a cutech 8 inch spiral jointer. It has like those changeable teeth. Works good. But when I do side grain like on a charcuterie board , it tears out some of the wood. When it does tear out the grain , it’s like funky not straight grain. I work mostly with walnut and maple. Any suggestions ? Looks kinda like planer tear out. The setting on the little gauge said under 1 32nd. Thank you 😊

Shared m8 back shortly once ave watched it 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I have the original corded Mafell P1cc and cannot find fault it especially with the W1 blades ,it does needs target light but so does the Domino which is why I use a head torch now as my eyes are pish poor from age and other crap that makes you go blind

With tools, I always try to buy the best quality stuff that I can afford.....the problem is that I've spent all my money on tools and then I compounded the problem...by getting married! I like Mafell gear, but it's too pricey and most of their stuff is aimed at huge timber framing work. I love Festool, and try to get it if I can, but you're right about the pricing. It's gone mad. Fortunately I bought most of the essential stuff before the prices went crazy, although the Kapex remains on my wish list...but not while it's 1500 squids....I get by with my trusty Dewalt 708 aka the dust monster. I love the Domino haters who reckon that you can cut joints faster by hand or with a router....obviously they have never seen the machine in the flesh and /or are jealous that you can afford one...or both🤣(where's my tiny violin?). When it comes to routers, I like the old Elu/ Dewalt machines...Elu 177 and Dw625 can do just about anything you ask of them, but my favourite machines are the Dewalt 621 and 622...Not as advanced as the festool kit, but the best dust extraction ever.

$3000 and the fence doesn’t stay square. Unbelievable. Same issue with the Jet Joiner Planer combo. Crap aluminum fence.

“You need a really hefty amount of power to suck” You could barely keep it together

25:50 🤣 still get's me every time😁 Festool....not for me way to pricey now & the Kapex mitre saw Wow. I chose team yellow (for my sins) but they are getting crap now esp the stuff they have built in China.

going to 3 phase is not cheap was quoted 32k for uk power network to run 3ph to my workshop , sold my 3ph saw and bought a single phase combi machine as I have kek all space but you can get a variable speed drive to convert single to 3 ph

Don't install 3 phase...buy 3 phase tools and put a VFD on them. I've even had luck with the

I’d not pay $1500 for a miter saw

😍😍😍✔️✔️✔️♣️♣️

In Australia the 120 miter saw is $2400 and the dominoes the 500 is $2050 and the 700 $2700.

Absolutely not. Like you said, there isn't a miter saw on earth now or ever that I'd pay that much for. And I own a domino but get over yourselves festool

No

No.

I something think that some woodworking youtoob videos are like pron. Fantasy visions of beautiful people doing amazing things with things beyond our means. I say this is the best way possible, that wasn't your video - nice things with sound reasons why you chose them. But you threw in a few scenes i think I've seen on your Only Fans 😝